Revelations Incorporated: Workplace Wisdom in the 21st Century by Brian Ray, a Business and Management Consultant with over twenty years of experience, is a financial non-fiction work that sets the record straight. It should be carefully noted and understood, however, that the author, as he explains in his first chapter, does not reveal the truth of the business world with the intention of making businesses and their owners look bad; the purpose of this book is simply that of shattering illusions people might have about both. The author carefully works around revealing what the novice working man or woman might be concerned about, and offers advice to prevent people from falling victim to their own illusions and beliefs regarding employers, work bullies, and even their own salaries.

Brian Ray struck a chord inside me with every piece of truth he revealed. As evident in his writings, his knowledge could only have come from someone who has been exposed to it all. Furthermore, his case studies shed light on his own professional experiences and observations of the business world around him. As the author reveals, employers can see their initial ethical principles replaced by a primary desire for high profits if they are not careful. To my liking, focus was put on company leadership and undesirable traits of certain managers; on a more humorous but equally serious note, I was also introduced to energy-sucking vampires. I would give this book to the inexperienced working twenty-year-old who, perhaps miserable, needs a book like this.

Revelations Incorporated: Workplace Wisdom for the 21st Century by Brian Ray is a non-fiction book on how to navigate one’s way through the modern corporate world. Revelations Incorporated talks about the inherent politics and game-playing that is a reality of the modern day business and corporate world, and provides tips and techniques on how to thrive and succeed in it. The book is broken down into various chapters that talk about understanding the underlying “truth” that companies are in it to make a profit at any cost, how to work through it, understanding how to act and behave both as an employee and manager, dealing with customers, interview skills and salary negotiation techniques, and of course dealing with favoritism, anger, cronyism, etc. that can frequently occur in the corporate environment.

Revelations Incorporated: Workplace Wisdom for the 21st Century by Brian Ray is a useful and practical book for people who are just stepping into the corporate world or even for those who are in it but never really had a mentor or received any guidance on how to navigate one’s way through it. This book shines a bright light on the realities of the corporate world, and the insincere and often fake propaganda one hears about loyalty to the company and giving one’s all to your job. Instead, this book teaches you to manipulate your way in this world while at the same time achieve job and career success as desired. If nothing else, it provides a glimpse into the day to day realities of a corporate job.